Cross Cultural Collaborative, Inc. is an educational non-profit that invites people to Ghana to promote cultural exchange and understanding through the arts.
Our vision is to place people from different life experiences in an environment where they can exchange ideas and find universal connections.

Monday, October 3, 2011

As we landed in Accra Aretha Franklin was singing, "I'm going to stay here 'til I rest my soul." I'm not sure that applied to us as our summers may be soulful, but rarely restful.

There is a certain rhythm to life in Ghana, both literally and metaphorically and once you get into step, you fit right in. It's a slow dance.."no hurry in life"..no straight lines. To follow the beat it's best to circle around, do a few back steps and slide right in. Some visitors get the hang of it and some, to the amusement of locals, do not. At Aba House we do our best to keep everyone dancing.

This summer the Aba House kids taught visitors how to make paper from sugar cane leaves and how to do bookbinding.

We taught Louise tie and dye and batik and sent her off to Ntonso for an adinkra lesson.

Alastair and Katie accepted invitations to attend weddings and then settled down to teach computer skills and book arts.

Alastairs wife Caroline had been a volunteer a few years ago and did a memorable performance of Hamlet with the Aba House kids. Caroline died last year and Alastair came to continue her support of one of our kids schooling.

Our returned Peace Corps visitors met the American ambassador and partied with fellow RPC members in celebration of the Peace Corps 50th anniversary.

For three months people came to visit, interact and eat Talk True's vegetarian meals. His ginger tea made everyone happy. That recipe will be in the cookbook that we're putting together.

We left Ghana on Kwame Nkrumahs' birthday, now an official holiday.

Plans are in progress for 2012.

Charlie is coming back with a group of university art students and Michael is returning with his high school students. Both groups will do volunteer work with our kids and enjoy a tour in Ghana.

As always, we will offer workshops that introduce people to African culture, opportunities to volunteer, work with Ghanaian teachers and artists and visit traditional villages.

Let us know what you want to do and we can arrange it !

May 2012 be your year to dance with us at Aba House.

Here's an article about us from a local newspaper: www.baystatebanner.com/local17-2011-08-18